Question 1

Who is the "spoiler" that is warned at the start of this passage?

Accepted Answer

The “spoiler” is the one who attacks, robs, and deals treacherously with others who have not wronged him. In the historical setting this points to powerful enemy rulers who invaded God’s people, such as the Assyrian king who broke agreements and crushed cities. The verse also fits any proud power that harms others without cause. God says that when this spoiler stops his destroying, he himself will be spoiled, showing that those who oppress will in the end face the same kind of harm they brought on others.

Question 2

What does the prayer "O LORD, be gracious unto us" show about God’s people?

Accepted Answer

This prayer shows that God’s people know they cannot save themselves. They admit that they must wait for the Lord and depend on His grace, not on their own strength or plans. They ask Him to be their “arm every morning” and their salvation in trouble, remembering how He helped their fathers before them. In the middle of fear and siege, they turn to God instead of trusting human power. This teaches a posture of daily dependence and honest calling on God when enemies seem strong.

Question 3

What does it mean that wisdom and knowledge are the stability of your times?

Accepted Answer

This line describes how God’s work in Zion brings more than outward rescue. He fills His people with judgment and righteousness, and then says that wisdom and knowledge will make their days firm and steady. This is not just clever thinking, but a right understanding of God, His ways, and His commands. When people fear the Lord and value what He says, that becomes like a hidden treasure that keeps them stable even when nations shake. It shows that inner faith and truth are what really hold a people up.

Question 4

Why are the sinners in Zion afraid of the "devouring fire" and "everlasting burnings"?

Accepted Answer

The sinners and hypocrites in Zion had lived among God’s people but did not truly fear Him. When God’s judgment draws near, they suddenly see His holiness as a consuming fire and are terrified. They ask who can live with such fire. The answer given is that only those who walk righteously, speak uprightly, refuse unjust gain, and shut their ears and eyes to bloodshed and evil will be safe. God’s holy presence is joy and safety to the upright, but it is dreadful to those who cling to sin.

Question 5

Who is the one who can dwell with the devouring fire in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the person who can live with this devouring fire is the one who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, turning away from oppression and bribes, and refusing to take part in violence or look on evil. For such a person, God becomes a secure dwelling on high, like strong rock defenses. Bread and water are sure for him. This shows that the way to stand before a holy God is not by empty words, but by a life that turns from unjust gain and lives in honest fear of the Lord.

Question 6

What is meant by seeing "the king in his beauty" and "the land that is very far off"?

Accepted Answer

These words promise a change from fear to peace. God’s people, who had been shut in and terrified by the enemy, would one day see their king safe, honoured, and beautiful instead of threatened. They would also look out on a wide land again, no longer trapped by siege lines. The passage mainly points to the rescue of their own king and country. Many readers also see here a glimpse of how God’s people will one day see their perfect king and enjoy a broad, safe inheritance with Him.

Question 7

What was happening in the land when the ambassadors of peace wept?

Accepted Answer

The land was in deep trouble. Brave men cried outside the city, the roads were empty, and travel had stopped because it was too dangerous. An enemy ruler had broken his covenant, despised the cities, and respected no one. The ambassadors of peace had gone to seek terms but came back in tears because their efforts failed. Even the fertile places like Lebanon, Sharon, Bashan, and Carmel are pictured as withering. This shows how hard things were just before God rose up to judge the oppressor.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s character in judgment and salvation?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God sees treachery and will not let it go on forever. He allows proud powers to rise for a time, but He sets a limit and then says, “Now will I rise.” He judges those who spoil others, often making them fall by the same kind of harm they dealt out. At the same time, He listens to the prayers of those who wait for Him, becomes their daily strength, and secures Zion. He is judge, lawgiver, and king in one, and He also forgives the iniquity of the people who live in His city.

Question 9

How can someone today apply the picture of God as judge, lawgiver, and king?

Accepted Answer

The passage says, “The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.” This reminds a reader that God alone has the right to decide what is right, to give commands, and to rule. Human leaders may fail or act treacherously, but God’s rule is just and steady. To apply this, a person can choose to listen first to God’s word, submit to His rule in daily choices, and look to Him for rescue instead of resting their hope on shifting human powers or plans.

Question 10

Why does the chapter end with people not saying "I am sick" and being forgiven?

Accepted Answer

At the end, the picture shifts from siege and fear to full healing and peace in Zion. It says that the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick,” and the people who live there will be forgiven their iniquity. This joins physical wholeness and spiritual pardon. When God removes the oppressor and secures His city, He also deals with the deeper problem of sin. The words hint that the best gift is not only safety from enemies but a people made right with God, no longer carrying the guilt that once lay on them.

Isaiah 33:1

Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

The LORD Is Exalted

The LORD Is Exalted

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Isaiah 33:1

Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

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The LORD Is Exalted

The LORD Is Exalted

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